Magnetic ball point pens



Nov. 29, 1955 o. MORRIS MAGNETIC BALL POINT PENS Filed Jan. 2, 1955 n n u n u n u n n a b n n n n n n n a a t e a a t a a Q a a a e a a Q E INVENTOR @Wen Morris ATTORNEY United States Patent Ctice y 2,725,038 Patented Nov. 29, 1955 MAGNETIC BALL POINT PENS Owen Morris, New York, N. Y.

Application January 2, 1953, Serial No. 329,174

z Claims. (ci. 1z0-42.03)

This invention relates to magnetic ball point pens.

Manufacturers of leather goods and desk accessories have found it popular from 'a consumer standpoint to include in these goods and accessories concealed metal plates which retain magnetic writing instruments in a striking and novel manner. Heretofore, however, manufacturers of these items were reluctant to use standard vball point pens inasmuch as the exposed part of the ball point would smear or damage the leather, with the result that manufacturers have employed instead magnetic pencils of the type disclosed in U. S. Patent 2,508,075. However, there still exists a large demand for lthe combination with leather goods and desk accessories having concealed metal plates of magnetic ball point pens.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide a magnetic ball point pen adapted to be used with leather goods and desk accessories of the above type which is so constructed that when placed in contact with the leather-covered metal base, this contact will automatically retract the ball point Within the pen housing, thereby preventing the soiling of the leather in an objectionable manner.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved retractable ball point pen which includes an actuating knob located on the top of the pen which on contact 'with the leather covered metal plate coacts with a spring and magnet within the pen housing to retract the ball point.

It is still another object of the present invention to 'provide a magnetic ball point pen of the above type wherein a permanent magnet concealed within the pen housing forms a part of the system of moving parts which act to extend the ball point.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a magnetic ball point pen bearing the above objects in mind lwhich is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, is easy to use and is eicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a magnetic ball point pen embodying the features of the present invention and showing the ball point in a retracted position;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view Similar to Fig. y2 but showing the ball point in an outwardly extended or writing position;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. l7 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 7`7 of Fig'. 2;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a modiied type of actuating knob adapted to be used with the present invention and Fig. 9 is an end elevational view thereof.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, in which similar reference characters identify corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown a magnetic ball point pen, referred to collectively as 10, and including an elongated hollow pen housing 11, substantially as illustrated.

While in the drawing I have shown this housing 11 to be of hexagonal cross section, it will be noted that other cross sectional shapes may be used. The hexagonal shape is, however, preferable, since it provides for point contact with the internal sliding parts, thereby reducing friction to a minimum (see Figs. 6 and 7).

The top end of housing 11 is open and internally threaded, as at 12, while the bottom end thereof is tapered inwardly, as at 13, to terminate in a restricted opening 14.

A cylindrical sleeve 15 slides into the housing 11 through the threaded end 12 to be positioned at the bottom end thereof, with one end of sleeve 15 abutting the flared portion 13, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

A ball point pen capsule 16 having a capillary tube 17 and ball point 18 secured to one end in conventional manner and stamped at its other end to provide laterally extending flanges 19, slides into housing 11 with the capillary tube 17 and ball point 18 thereof sliding through sleeve 15 to be positioned within flared portion 13, as shown in Fig. 2. The capsule 16 contains a supply of the type of ink employed in ball point pens and is open at its end adjacent flanges 19, in the usual manner of ball point capsule construction.

A compression spring 20 sleeves the capsule 16 intermediate sleeve 15 and flanges 19 and serves to normally urge the ball point 18 into the retracted position shown in Fig. 2 as will be obvious.

A permanent magnet 21 of cylindrical shape slides into housing 11 and bears on the open end of capsule 16, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

A closure and actuating means is provided at the top of housing 11, and includes a cap consisting of an end wall 22 and integrally formed, externally threaded side walls 23, the latter being screwed into the threaded end 12 of housing 11, as shown in Figs. 1-3. The end wall 22 is provided with an opening 24 which slidably receives a cylindrical member 25, the latter at its inner end having an integral enlargement 26 of substantially diamond shape. This enlargement terminates in a point 27 which bears on the end of magnet 21. The peripheral ring 28 of enlargement 26 'eXtends laterally toward the inner walls of housing 1'1, substantially as illustrated, and is adapted to abut the side walls 23 of the cap at the ends thereof whereby to limit outward displacement of member 25, as shown in Fig. 2.

An actuating knob consisting of a cylindrical base portion 29 and a frustro-conical portion 30 is connected to the other end of member 2S by means of a relatively narrow cylindrical neck l31, substantially as illustrated. The difference in diameter of the neck 31 and the end diameters of member 25 and frustro-conical portion 30 provide a circular groove 32 adapted to receive the portions of end wall 22 surrounding the opening 24 in a manner to be hereinafter described.

As shown in Fig. 2, the ball Vpoint 18 is normally retained within the tapered portion 13 of housing 11 by the action of spring 20, permitting the pen 10 to be retained magnetically against concealed metal plates in leather goods and desk accessories without leakage of ink onto the leather coverings of the plates.

After -removal of the pen 10 from the leather goods or desk accessories, the actuating knob is pressed inwardly until the narrow neck 31 thereof resides within opening 24, at which point the knob is displaced axially so as to bring the portions of end wall 22 surrounding opening 24 into the groove 32, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 3. The knob is retained in this axially displaced position by the outward pressure of the end of member 25 on the portion of end wall 22 within the groove 32, as shown in Fig. 3, this outward pressure being transmitted from the now compressed spring axially along the capsule 16 to the sliding magnet 21, as will be obvious.

From an inspection of Fig. 3, it will be noted that the peripheral edge 29 of the actuating knob extends laterally beyond the dotted line extension 33 of the longitudinal sides of housing 11 when the knob is in the axially displaced position. Thus when the pen is placed upon the concealed metal plate previously referred to, the longitudinal sides of housing 11 will not lie flush with the supporting surface but only at one point near the tapered portion 13, the other point of contact being provided by the peripheral edge 29. In order to bring the longitudinal sides of housing 11 into flush engagement with the supporting surface, the peripheral edge 29 will move back to the axially aligned position of Figs. l and 2, whereupon the wall 22 will be released from groove 32 permitting outward movement of the actuating knob and member 25, longitudinal movement of magnet 21 toward the top of the pen, which motion permits the capsule 16 and ball point 18 to move inwardly under the action of compressed spring 20. Thus it wiil be seen that upon placing the pen 10 against the leather covered metal plate, the magnetic force drawing the pen into ush engagement with the concealed plate will also automatically release the actuating knob and retract the ball point so as to avoid spoiling the leather covering. It will also be apparent that the actuating knob will be released when the longitudinally extending sides of housing 1l are manually pressed flush against any suitable plane surface, magnetic or otherwise.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 8 and 9, there is shown a modied actuated knob consisting of a hexagonal base portion 29 and a truncated pyramid portion 30', the peripheral edge of base 29' thus being adapted to contact the concealed plate covering at a plurality of points 34.

In other respects this actuating knob is the same as that shown in Figs. l-7 being formed with groove 32' similar to groove 32 and neck 31 similar to neck 31.

To replace the capsule 16, it is only necessary to ref move the cap by unscrewing, whereupon the parts will drop out through threaded opening 12 as will be obvious.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a magnetic ball point pen adapted to be used with leather goods and desk accessories having concealed metal plates which is so constructed that when placed in Contact with the leather covered metal base, this contact will automatically retract the ball point within the pen housing, thereby preventing the soiling of the leather in au objectionable manner. It should also be apparent that there has been provided a pen of the above type which includes an actuating knob located on the top of the pen which on contact with the leather covered metal plate coacts with a spring and magnet within the pen housing to retract the ball point, the magnet forming a part of the system of moving parts which act to extend and retract the ball point.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A magnetic ball point pen comprising an elongated, hollow housing open at one end, the other end of said housing being inwardly tapered and terminating in a restricted opening, a sleeve within said housing, one end of said sleeve abutting said inwardly tapered portion, a capsule slidable longitudinally within said housing through said sleeve, said capsule including a capillary tube and a ball point carried by the end of said capsule passing through said sleeve and extending into said inwardly tapered portion, laterally extending flanges carried by the other end of saidcapsule, a compression spring sleeving said capsule, one end of said spring bearing on said sleeve, the other end of said spring bearing on said flanges, a permanent magnet slidable within said housing, one end of said magnet bearing on the inner end of said capsule, a closure removably secured within the end of said housing remote from said ball point, the inner ends of said closure forming a shoulder with the inner surface of said housing, said closure having an opening, a shaft slidable longitudinally within said opening, the inner end of said shaft having an enlargement adapted to engage said shoulder and bearing on the other end of said magnet, the other end of said shaft extending beyond said closure external of said housing, a narrow neck connected to the outer end of said shaft and an enlarged knob connected to the outer end of said neck, said neck cooperating with the ends of said shaft and knob adjacent thereto to provide an annular groove adapted to receive the portions of said closure surrounding said opening, said knob extending laterally beyond the longitudinal sides of said housing when said portions of said closure surrounding said opening are received within said groove.

2. The combination, with a retractable ball point pen including an elongated housing, a ball point-carrying capsule slidable longitudinally within the housing, and spring means for retaining the ball point retracted within the housing, of a permanent magnet slidable longitudinally within the housing, one end of said magnet bearing on the inner end of the capsule, means carried by the end of the housing remote from the ball point for manually moving said magnet and the capsule longitudinally against the action of the spring means, and means for releasably locking said magnet and the capsule in the moved position whereby to extend and retain the ball point in a writing position until said locking means is released, said magnet, said moving means and the capsule being aligned longitudinally within the housing, said means for manually moving said magnet comprising an end closure for the end of said housing remote from the ball point, said closure having an opening, a shaft slidable within said opening, longitudinally of said housing, the inner end of said shaft bearing on the other end of said magnet, the outer end of said shaft extending beyond said closure external of said housing, and means for limiting the outward displacement of said shaft through said opening, said locking means comprising a narrow neck connected to the outer end of said shaft and an enlarged knob connected to the outer end of said neck, the said neck cooperating with the ends of said shaft and knob adjacent thereto to provide an annular groove adapted to receive the portions of said closure surrounding said opening, said knob extending laterally beyond the longitudinal sides of said housing when the portions of said end wall surrounding said opening are received within said groove.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,427,068 Randolph Sept. 9, 1947 2,508,075 Morris May 16, 1950 2,693,370 Wheatley Nov. 2, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 462,157 Canada Ian. 3, v1950 996,221 France Aug. 29, 1951 

